he went after Ashâ—oreth the goddesse of the Zidâ—nians and after Mileom the abomination of the Amorites and built a high place for Châ—mosh the abomination of Moaâ— in the hill that is before Jerusalem just there he built it too as if it had been in defiance to the Temple of God and his true worship and that for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammâ—â— and thus he did saith the Text ver 8. for all his strange wives which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods This shamefulnesse he was grown unto And thus we see it in experience how faire are men in their wayes of superstition at first At first it is onely decency that is all they plead for well afterward it riseth from decency to significancy that is a little higher to put them in minde Thirdly from significancy it riseth to efficacy to stirre up the dull mind of man Fourthly from efficacy it riseth to necessity that now it must be done and the worship of God cannot be without it and there shall be no ordinance no administration at all without it Decency significancy efficacy and necessity thus it riseth to be shamefull at last So amongst the Papists in their traditions surely at first only they would come with this argument What will you not regard them as you would doe other bookes and other Histories they are the traditions of our fore-fathers but at length they came to this in the fourth Sexion of the Councell of Trent the Synod doth take honour the bookes of the old and new Testament and the traditions of the Fathers with equalâ— affection of piety and reverence as they doe them To this shamefulnesse they grew to at last And so for worshipping of Images why it is it for the decency of Churches to have them and they are but to put you in minde at the most but at length they came to this these are the very words the same honour is due to the Image and to the Exemplar Lastly from this amplification that she hath done shamefully VVhen men doe grow shamelesse impudent in evil there is little hope of them I will have no mercy upon them Why For they have done thus they are grown thus impudent It is a good thing to keepe the bridle of shame as long as we can upon our children and servants and any of our inferiours therefore take this one instruction with you be not too ready to rebuke and chastise your servants your children in reproachfull manner before others left you bring them to that that they shall see they have no honour to lose and then there is little hope of them Evermore keep such a hand over your children and servants as they may see they have some respect to lose that they may not be so ashamed by you as for them to thinke they cannot be worse they cannot be more disgraced there is no such way to bring them to grow desperate as that is It is very great wisedome in Governours to keepe the bridle of shame still and not to let those raines goe and this is the reason that your Bride-well or Goale-birds seldome or never come to good why because they have no bridle to keepe them in they have lost all their honour and they can lose no more and there is no rational creature but would have honour there is not the meanest servant you have but hath a kinde of respect to honour and that will doe more then blows except they be grown to be very beasts But how doth he prove that it is shamefull Thus For she hath said I will go after my lovers that give me my bread and my water my wooll and my flaze mine oyle and my drinke For she hath said Hence first Deliberate sins are most shamefull sinnes This is a proofe of her shamefulnesse because that which she hath done she hath done upon deliberation she said she would do thus and thus she considered before what she would doe and yet she would doe it Wickednesse committed de industria ex consilio of purpose resolved upon this is very shamefull Gal. 6. 1. It is said of Godly men that they may be overtaken with a fault If a man be overtaken with a fault It is one thing to be overtaken with a sinne and another thing to overtake a sinne a gracious heart may have sinne overtake it but it is a shamelesse heart that overtakes sinne Secondly She hath said I will goe Whoredome either bodily or spirituall is usually very wilfull as if she had said let all the Prophets say what they can let them talke out their hearts I will have my minde I will follow my lovers still Thus it is with bodily whoredome Those who are guilty of this usually grow extreame wilfull Prov. 2. 19. None that goe unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of life It is a most dreadfull Scripture against all adulerers unclean ones There is none saith the Text make it out how you will there is none that goe unto her return a-again neither take they hold of the paths of life those are the words of the Holy Ghost I leave the words with you So Pro. 23. 27. A whore is a deepe ditch and astrange woman is a narrow pit they cannot easily get out nor will they easily get out they are so plunged in 2 Pet. 2. 14. Eyes full of adultery that cannot cease to sinne why cannot they cease to sinne it is not because they have a heart but no power but their wills is brought into that bondage and subjection that they cannot will otherwise therefore Ezek. 47. 11. wee finde that though the waters of the Sanctuary were very healing yet saith the Text the miry places and the maershes were not healed miry filthy uncleane hearts are very seldome healed by the waters of the Sanctuary I remember AElian reporteth that there was a whore that did boast that she could easily get scholars away from Socrates but Socrates could get no scholar from her none of her followers It is true that a whore is prevalent and when she hath once gotten them it is almost impossible to get them away from her Therefore that place Heb. 6. that speakes of that sinne that is impossible to have repent anoe Tertullian interprets it to be no other but the sinne of uncleannesse The Author of this Epistle saith hee knew no promise of second repentance to the adulterer and fornicator that is his expression shewing how ordinarily those that are guilty of that sinne and are given up to it grow wilfull in it And therefore in Ephes 4. 19 these two are put together being past feeling and having given themselves over to laciviousness and want onness wantons usually grow past feeling And for spirituall adultery that usually is very wilfull too for those that are left by God to that way of false worship to Superstition and Idolatry they seldome returne
AN EXPOSITION Of the Prophesie of HOSEA Begun IN DIVERS LECTVRES Vpon the first three Chapters At MICHAELS Cornhill LONDON By JER BURROUGHES The Second Edition Newly corrected Inter omnia dona donum verbi Dei est amplissimum Si hoc auferas soleme mundo sustulisti Quid erit mundus sublato verbo quaminfernus Luther LONDON Printed for R. Dalwman in the Year 1652. TO THE READER YOu have these Lectures as they were taken from me in preaching Iperused the notes but I could not bring the style to that succinctnesse that I desired except I should have wrote all over again which I had no time to doe my perusall was but cursory therefore many things have slipt me You have them as I preached them without any considerable alteration I had thought to have been far briefer that which caused me to goe somewhat beyond an expository way was the meeting with so many things almost in every Lecture so neerly concerning the present times in the remaining part of the Prophesie if God give life to goe through it I shall keep my selfe more close to an expository way what here you have take it as you finde it what good you meet with receive it in This will be the encouragement of Thy friend in Christ J. B. Aug. 10. 1643. Imprimatur Ioseph Caryll AN EXPOSITION OF The Prophesie of Hosea The First LECTVRE Chap. 1. Vers 1 2. c. 1. The word of the Lord that came unto Hosea the son of Beeri in the dayes of Vzziah Iotham Ahaz and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah and in the days of Ieroboam son of Ioash King of Israel 2. The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea and the Lord said to Hosea c. The Preface To The Work THis day beginneth a Scripture Exposition Exercise which hath lost much of the honour of it by the disuse of it The best Apology for it is to set presently upon it It is ancient in the Church of God old enough to speak for itself Nehem 8. 8. we read that Ezra Ieshua Bani and the rest read in the book of the Law and gave the sense and caused the people to understand the reading You love brevity in this Exercise you shall have it in all that shall be delivered unto you I have pitched upon the Books of the small Prophets to open them unto you of whom Ierome hath this expression You cannot tell which to wonder at most either the brevtâ—y of speech or the greatness and abundance of sense And this Prophet Hosea in speciall is excellent this way of whom the same Author speaking calls him exceeding concise speaking by sentences Being the Propheticall books is the work that falls to me why I chose rather to begin with Hosea then Isaiah I shall afterward give you an account If God continue this Exerciseand life we may goe through them all both small and great In these Prophets we have most admirable divine Truths revealed to us and pity it is that the minde of God contained in them should be so little known even unto his children that such treasures of heavenly truths that are there should lie hid from so many so long a time as they have done We might preface this our work because this is the first dayes entrance into it vvith labouring to raise and sweeten your hearts with the consideration of the excellency of the Scriptures in generall Luther hath an high expression about them he calls them the highest genus that containes in it all good whatsoever Take away the Scripture and you even take away the Sun from the world What is the world without the Scriptures but hell it self We have had indeed the word of God to be as the Sun in the world but oh hovv many mists have been before this Sun We have seldome the Sun shine clearly to us It is pity seeing there is such a glorious Sun risen that there should be such a misty day Now this is the work we are called unto to dispell the mists and fogs from before this Sun that it may shine more brightly before your eyes and into your hearts Chrysost in his 29. Sermon upon Genesis exhorting his Auditors to get the Scriptures into their houses and to a diligent exercise of himselfe in them tells them that by them the soul is raised and elevated and brightned as with the beame of the Sun of righteousnesse and delivered from the snares of unclean thoughts The Scripture is that wherin the great God of heaven hath sent his mind to the children of men wherein he hath made known the counsel of his wil opened even his very heart unto Man-kind It is the Epistle that God hath sent into the world And did wee but heare of such a Book that were dictated imediatly by God himself to the end to shew the children of men what the eternall counsels of his will were for the ordering of them to their eternall estate and to open his thoughts and intentions concerning their everlasting condition what it shall be Did wee I say but heare that there were such a book in the farthest part of the Indies would we not rejoyce that the world was blest with such a mercie what strong and vehement desires should we have to enjoy but one sight of it before we dye Wee would be willing to venture upon any hazard to passe through any difficulty to be at any charges that we might have but a sight of such a booke as this My brethren you need not say Who shall goe to the farthest part of the Indies to setch this book Who shall descend into the depth or goe to the uttermost part of the earth to help us to a sight of this booke of Scripture For behold the word is nigh unto you it is in your houses and we hope in your hearts and in this exercise is to be in our mouths not only to tell you what it saith but open unto you the mind of God in it The exercising our selves in this book is sweet indeed Luther professes himselfe out of love with his own books and wished them burnt lest men spending time in them should be hindered from reading the Scriptures which saies he are the only fountain of all wisdome and I tremble saies he at the former age that was so much busied in reading of Aristotle and Averroes Wee read in that 8. of Nehem. vers 5 6. when Ezra opened the book of the Law to expound it to the people he blessed the Lord the great God and all the people answered Amen Amen And now blessed be the Lord the great and gracious God for stirring your hearts up to such a work as this is and blessed be his name for those liberties we have thus freely to exercise our selves in this service O praised be the name of the great God for this dayes entrance into so good a work as this is Yea they did not
this is the first time we read that David in his VVars and Battells called for the Ephod when he went to Achish then he did not enquire when he invaded the Geshurites and Amalekites before he did not enquire but now when he was brought into straits when his heart was broken when he was in a weeping condition now he calleth for the Ephod VVhen God brings men into straits and humbles them then they will enquire of God to purpose VVe are now about to enquire of God to know his mind but we are not humbled enough our straits have not broken our hearts and perhaps we shall not so readily know Gods mind God may yet humble us more and then when we come to enquire Gods mind it may be to further purpose But to open this garment a little The word Ephod is that Hebrew word which signifies to close in and to compasse about to gird about because of the fitting garment to the Priests and the girding of it about them There were divers sorts of these Ephods one peculiar to the high Priest that you have Exod. 28. 6. Others that the ordinary Priests had that you have in the former places I named about the fourscore and five Priests slain by Doeg A third was common for the ordinary Levites thus Samuel 1 Sam. 2. 18. ministred before the Lord girded with a linnen Ephod And there was a fourth that other people did we are in their holy actions especially before Kings David danced before the Lord girded with a linnen Ephod 2 Sam. 6. 14. And to this day the Jewes have a kind of linnen garment but not of the fashion of our Ephod but some little kind of resemblance to it they wear it upon their heads and so downward VVhen Alexander came to Jerusalem I addus the high Priest came with all his Priestly garments to meet him which caused him to fall down prostrating himselfe before him out of reverence to him Iosephus tels us in that story that the people came with white garments garments that had some kind of resemblance to this Ephod Iosephus saith that this Ephod was a garment but of a cubite long only covering the shoulders and the breast open above and on either side and girt about the breasts others make it a longrobe reaching down to the very feet But there was a robe beside the Ephod the Ephod was over another robe so Christ appeared unto John Rev. 1. 13. Cloathed with a garment downe to the foot and girt about the paps with a golden girdle like the Priests for so they were wont to be arrayed And Revel 15. 6. the Ministers of the Churches called by the name of Angels are described cloathed in white linnen having their breasts girded with golden girdles not girt about their loynes but about their breasts near their hearts That which makes Ministers of the Gospel ready prepared for the work is the girdle of truth and this must be about their hearts if their owne plottings and self-ends shall gird them that is put them on to a readiness to do what may serve for those ends this girdle is not the golden girdle but like that rotten girdle of Jeremiahs Chap. 31. 7. that was profitable for nothing This garment of the Ephod was a holy garment then and others must take heed of medling with such garments or of seeking to imitate to make the like garments We read of Gideon Judges 8. when God had given him a great victory over the Midianites he would imitate this Ephod of the spoil he had gotten of the Midianites he made a rich and glorious Ephod but the Text observeth that thing proved to be the destruction of Gideons house for the people went a whoring after it he made it with a good intention to testifie his thankfulnesse to God for his victory not thinking that ever it should be worshipped It is a dangerous thing for governours to imitate Gods ordinances in garments or the like and to preserve them amongst people though it be with never so good an intention their good intention will not excuse them Gideons presumption in making an Ephod in imitation of the Ephod appointed by God proved to be the destruction of his house yet this was Gideon who a little before had destroyed the altar of Baal though he was so much against Idolatry before yet now he doth that which furthereth Idolatry so many Governours if they take not heed they may pull down one kind of false worship and set up another The Iewes have many mysteries about this garment it would weary you to hear them I shall only observe that which is most usefull for you wee must not read the books of the old Testament as if they concerned us not First upon the shoulders of the Ephod there were set ranks of precious stones upon them were in graven the names of the twelve Tribes according to their generations And in the middle of the Ephod upon the breast-plate which was to be four-sqâ—are there were four rowes of precious stones upon those likewise were ingraven all the names of the Tribes of Israel he bore them upon his heart There is much to be observed in this First Let the Tribes be what they will be in themselves though never so mean yet upon the Ephod they were precious stones The Priest wearing the Ephod was a type of Christ let those who are godly be never so meane in themselves yet in Christ God looks upon them as precious stones Secondly These precious stones that were upon the shoulders of the Ephod are called a memoriall Exod. 28. 12. that was to signifie Christ bearing the names of all the Saints before his Father for a memorial those 12 tribes presenting all the Churches that should be unto the end of the world When God remembers his Church it is thorow Christ God never remembers his Church but it is by Christ carrying it before him that is the comfort of the Saints therefore he can never remember them to revenge himself upon them for he never thinketh of them but only as Christ presenteth them unto him And further A memoriall say the Jewes not onely because the Priests were to beare the names of the twelve Tribes ingraven in those stones for a memoriall before the Lord but to signifie that the Priests themselves were to remember to pray for the Tribes And thirdly A memoriall to signifie that both the Priests and all the people were to remember their godly Ancestors and Predecessors and to follow their vertues and not to be any dishonour unto them But the first is the chiefe these precious stones with the names of the tribes were first upon the shoulder and then upon the heart upon the shoulder this notes that Christ carryes his Church upon his shoulder hee beares the burthen of his Church all their weight all their afflictions upon his shoulder the shoulder of Christ standeth under the Churcher certainly therefore they shall
prepared to meet Christ their Bride-groom when he cometh Marke that place Ezek. 40. 4. It is spoken of the glorious times of the Gospel especially of these times I am speaking of where God saith to the Prophet Behold with thine eyes and heare with thine eares and set thine heart upon all that I shal shew thee And what did God shew him hee shewed him the measure of the Temple and all the glorious things that there should be in the Church in future times So I say to you my brethren concerning that I have spoken of the great day of Jezreel behold with your eyes look into Gods book and see what is said there for I have named but little and heare with your eares and set your hearts upon what hath been set before you So in Isa 41. 20. You have a place somewhat like this speaking of the mercies of God to his Church in latter times saith the Text That they may see know and consider and understand together that the hand of the Lord hath done this and the Holy One of Israel hath created it Mark how one word is heaped upon another that they may see know and consider understand what God would do for his people And when God came to reveale the glorious things he intended for his Churches in future times in the book of the Revelation which is the special book that declareth this unto us Mark how the Lord beginneth It is said that God gave this first to Christ secondly Christ to the Angel thirdly the Angel to Iohn and then there is pronounced a blessing to him that reads and hears the words of this prophesie and understands it What a solemne way of blessing is here There is not such an expression in all the book of God where have you a blessing so solemnly proclaimed to the reading and hearing of any of the bookes of God as to that book Therefore though they are things that seeme to be above us yet certainly God would have us to inquire into these things It is the fruit of the purchase of the blood of Christ to open these seales Rev. 5. 9. we reade that there was no man in heaven nor in earth that was able to open the book and to loose the seales thereof only the Lambe that was slaine and that hath redeemed us unto God by his blood he was onely worthy to open the seales It is a fruit I say of the slaughter of Christ of his blood and therefore cry to him for the opening these things to thee And though thou beest very weake in regard of parts and thinkest with thy self How can I understand such things as these know that it is Christ that through his blood comes to open these seales and seeing it is a fruite of his blood it is no matter whether thou art weake or strong if he come to open them to thee as Ier. 13. 2. saith God to the Prophet Call unto me and I will shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not so I say to you be a praying people call upon God and he will cause you to understand great and excellent things that you have not known And my brethren seeing these things shall be thus O what manner of persons ought wee to be how heavenly our hearts should rise up from the earth seeing God intendeth to do such great things for his people As it is Isa 60. Arise arise shake off thy dust for the light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee So I may say to the Churches now Arise arise shake of the dust of your earthly affections for the light of God is now ready to arise upon you Now sur sum corda now lift up your hearts above the things of the world VVee reade in Rev. 4. of the foure living creatures that appeared unto John the first was like a Lyon and the second like an Oxe and the third had a face as a Man and the fourth was like a flying Eagle They are according to the interpretaâ—ion that reverend Brightman gives to set out unto us the foure states conditions of the Church The Primitive times were Lyon-like for their valour the second age like an Oxe to beare the burthens of Antichrist the third had a face as a man that stood for their liberties and would not be under such slavery and they are but times and then the fourth as an Eagle that sored aloft In the state of the Church hereafter they shall be like an Eagle have heavenly hearts no such drossy base earthly hearts as we have now Labour we even now to be so that we may be fit for that day And let us all prepare for the Bride groome against his comming How shall we prepare The cloathing that then shall be shall be white linnen which is the righteousnesse of the Saints That great Doctrine of our justification by the righteousnesse of Christ shall be the great businesse of that day in which the glory of the Saints shall much consist and they shall be clothed with that it shall be clearly understood of all men they shall be ashamed to rest upon duties and ordinances as now they do Let us study the Doctrine of the righteousnesse of Christ afore-hand for that is like to be our clothing at that day that is the white linnen of the Saints which shall be their glory Let us prepare our Lamps and keepe them all burning and shining the oyle not onely of juâ—â—â—cation but sanctification active stirring in our hearts that so we may 〈◊〉 to entertaine the Bride-groom whensoever 〈◊〉 〈…〉 And all of you labour now to instruct your children in the knowledge of God and of Christ bring them up in the feare of the Lord that they may be seed for that day Acquaint them with these things for though perhaps you may be dead and gone before this great day yet they may live to see it therefore catechize them and instruct them and drop into them those Principles that may fit them for the meeting of JESUS CHRIST their Bridegroome To conclude all Let us be all praying Christians It is that which is charged upon us in Isa 62. 6. All you that make mention of the Lord keep not silence and give him no rest till he establish till he make Jerusalem apraise in the earth God hath a day to set up Jerusalem as the praise of the whole earth Oh be praying praying Christians every one of you and give God no rest till he effect this And remember God of all his promises search the Prophets search the book of God and urge God with his promises to the Church in this way And you that are the weakest be not discouraged in your prayers and you may be a meanes to further and hasten this great day of Jezreel Psal 102. 17. The Psalmist had spoken before of Gods building up Zion and certainly that Psalme is a Prophesie of the glorious times
people and call upon them and exhort them to turne unto him the condition of that people is not desperate Exhortations from God do argue that the condition of a people may be hopefull So long as the King is but speaking to a Traytor especially giving of him good counsel there may be hope If he turne his backe upon him and will speake no more then he looks upon himself as a gone man Many people are troubled that God doth so continue exhorting by his Ministers and others and they cannot be at quiet If thou hast such a quiet as God should leave exhorting and drawing thee from thy sinnes woe to thee thou art a lost creature Make much of exhortations and threatnings Come we now to the Exhortation it selfe Let her put away her whoredomes out of her sight and her adulteries from betweene her breasts It is in the plurall number her whoredomes and her adulteries They were many shee must put them away all If a wife that hath been naught shall be contented to forsake divers of her lovers and retain but one there is no reconciliation all her adulteries must be put away But the words are not onely in the plurall number but those that understand the Originall well know that there is somewhat in the words to extend the signification beyond the plurall number and that is the duplication of the radicall letter in the first word the second radicall letter which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is double in the second word the third radicall Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is double It is the note of Tarnovius upon the place saith he the doubling of these radicall Letters shew the exceeding multitude of those whordomes and adulteries that Israel was guilty of at this time And indeed when once there is giving way to superstitious vanities there is growing to notorious whordomes and adulteries without measure without number ubi sistendum We never know where to stop if once our worship be corrupted Let her put away out of her sight The eye is the receiver of much uncleanness into the heart and by it the uncleanuess of the heart is much exprest The Scripture speakes of eies full of adulterie Let her put her adulteries out of her sight let them be abominable now in her eies those things that before were delectable let them now bee detestable Let them cast away their Idols as a filthy menstruous cloath and with indignation say get yee hence Or from before her face so it is in the Hebrew noting her impudency in her idolatry that it appeared in her very face Though men at first may be a little wary yet at length they grow to manifest outwardly their Idolatry in their very face But what we shall meet with afterward And because Israel did not according to the exhortation of those that pleaded with her put thus her whordomes out of her sight God did put Israel out of his sight for so we have it 2 King 17. 22. 23. The children of Israel walked in all the sinnes of Jeroboam which he did they departed not from them Promises could not draw them threatnings could not derer them Vntill the Lord removed Israel out of his sight They might have prevented this if they had put their whoredomes out of their sight God would never have put them out of his sight And from betweene her breasts Whores use to discover their filthyness much in their breasts either in the nakedness of their breasts or in those ornaments they hung about their breasts as they were wont to do in those Countreys for the intâ—sing of their lovers Her breasts Hypocrates sayes there are veins that goe from the belly to the breasts and that is the reason he gives of the temptation to lust that is in the breasts The whoredomes of the breasts in the nakednesse of them hath been condemned not onely in the Churches of God but amongst the heathen Terrulian in his book de habitu muliebri hath this expression Women adorne themselves immoderately with gold and silver and precious apparell this is saith hee crimen ambitionis the sin of ambition but for them to seek to adorne themselves solicitously carefull about their haire and their skin and those parts that draw the eyes this is crimen prostitutionis it is the sinnne of a prostituted whore so to doe Yea besides Tertullian in another book of his De velandis verginibus brings the Heathen rebuking Christian women in those times The very women of Arabia saith he shall judge you for they do not onely cover their faces but even their heads rather then they will have their nakedness appeare they will let the light but into one eye Now if the Heathen did so if they would not have their nakedness in any thing appeare much more should Christians cover those parts that are incitements to lusts That which is the Bedlams madness and the Beggars misery namely Nakedness that is the whores pride and the strumpets glory Let her put away her whordoms out of her sight and her adulteries from between her breasts That which is intended especially here is that they should not be content meerly with change of their hearts to say Well we will acknowledge the Lord to be the true God and our hearts shall wholly trust in him but for these externall things what great matter is there in them Oh no they must abstaine from all appearance of evill from the badges of Idolatry there must not be so much as the garbe and dresse of a whore upon them they must take away their adulteries from betweene their breasts The breasts of the Church are the Ordinances that are there for out of them do the Saints suck sweetness and spirituall nourishment So they are called in Isa 66. 11. That you may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of consolation Now certainly it is an evill thing for any thing that is whorish to be upon the breasts to be in the Ordinances of the Church to thinke to adorne them withall as whores do their breasts No the breasts are so neare the heart that it is pitty any thing should be upon them but Christ himselfe it is most fit that he should lye there Cant. 1. 13. A bundle of myrrhe is my wel-beloved unto me he shall lye all night between my breasts Myrrhe we know is a bitter thing but though Christ were as a bundle of myrrhe and brought many afflictions that adde bitternesse to the flesh yet the Church would have Christ to lye between her breasts and she would rejoyce in Christ Christ was sweet to the Church though with afflictions As a bundle of myrrhe is my wel-beloved So many faithfull Ministers of God have been contented yea joyfull to keep Christ between their breasts and in the Ordinances though as a bundle of myrrhe though hee hath brought some afflictions to them yet rather then they would endure any expression of that which is
children If you should see a malignant party come with their spheares and pikes and your children sprawling upon the toppes of them and their blood gushing out what would your gold-rings what would all your niceties and braver doe you good I will give you for this because it is a point of such concernment foure notable expressions in Scripture about Idolaters eagerness and earnestness of spirit in following after their Idols The first is Isa 57. 5. The Text saith there that they were inflamed after their Idols they were on fire after them The second is Jer. 50. 38. They were madde upon their Idols Thirdly You have a text more sutable to that I am speaking of It is Isa 46. 6. it is said there that they did laviâ—h gold out of the bagga They did not onely give their gold rings that were of no use and part with that which they could well spare but they did lavish gold that was in the bagge they would not onely bring some of it but they did lavish it for so the word is and they lavished not their silver but their gold and that not a piece or two out of a paper but out of the bagge they brought their bagges of gold and did lavish gold out of them and this they did for their Idols Oh what a shame is it then that any should be penurious and not come off full in the publicke cause of the Church and Common-wealth The fourth Text is Jerem. 8. 2. and there we have five expressions together of the pursuance of the heart of Idolaters after their Idols the like wee have not in all the booke of God in one verse Speaking of their Idols First he saith whom they have loved Secondly whom they have served Thirdly after whom they have walked Fourthly whom they have sought And Fifthly whom they have worshipped and all this in this one verse O how are the hearts of people set upon the wayes of Idolatry I remember Cambden reports of a King of England Canutus that spent as much upon one crosse aâ— the revenues of the Crowne came unto in a whole yeer he was so profuse in charges about his superstitious vanities Master Calvin in a Sermon of his upon that Text seeke ye my face hath this expression Foolish Idolaters when they endure much in their pilgrimages spend their money waste their bodies and abused in their travail yet they goe on and thinke all sufficiently recompenced if they may see and worship some Image of a Saint or holy relicke Shall the beholding saith he some dead carrion or apish Idol have more power to strengthen them then the face of God in his ordinances shall have to strengthen us My lovers that gave me my bread and my water my wool and my flaxe mine oyle and my drinke What were these Idols The Idol that gave their bread was Caeres shee was the goddesse that the Heathens did worship for corne For their water Luna the Moone was the Idol they worshipped for their drinke and all moist things For their wool and flaxe Ashtaroth was their god And for their oyle Fryapus The seventy translate that which wee say here wooll clothes and that which we say flaxe they linnen and they likewise for the fuller expression adde a word or two more and all other necessary things So they though their Idols gave them all flaxe and wool and hempe and all things Observe from hence Idolaters have a great many idols to supply their severall wants My lovers in the plural number The idols of the Heathen do not supply all good but one one thing and another another thing And that is the difference betweene the true God and Idols The excellency of the true God is that he is an universal good we have all good flaxe and oyle and bread and wine and all in one in our God in our lover And that is the reason that God chalengeth the whole heart Idols are content with a partiall obedience because they are but partiall in bestowing of good things but God justly requires the whole heart of his worshippers because he is an universall good to them My Lovers that gave me my bread c. Marke The end that Idolaters ay me at in their worship is very low They follow their lovers and are very earnest for what I pray for their wool and their flaxe and their bread and their water their oyle and their drinke These are the things they aime at they desire no more they look no higher may their flesh be satisfied give them but-liberty to sport on the Lords day to have their feasts their wakes merry meetings and they care for no more Their spirits are vile and accordingly is their worship Therefore their worship is external it is bodily because their aimes are at externall and bodily things As a mans end is so is a man either base or honourable There are many men that cry out as if they aimed at God and Religion in many things they doe they make a noise about Religion and God and Christ and his Ordinances and the publicke good but the truth is their aimes are at gaine and credit and at their wool and their flaxe and herein they shew the baseness of their spirits like the lapwings that make a loud cry as if they were come neere their nests when their neasts are somewhere else VVhatever their cry be for God and the publicke good but if you marke them their neast is in their wool in their flax in their profit in their honour and preferment in these outward things But the end of the true worshippers of God is a great deale higher they soare aloft there is a spirituall heighth of soule whereby they are raised upwards by the grace of God A godly mans feete are where a wicked mans head is that which he accounteth his chiefe good a godly man can trample under his feete He lookes at God himselfe at his service he worshippeth the high God he is a child of Abraham not Abraham but Abraham what is the signification of that Pater excelsus a high Father for he is the father of children of high spirits not only of Children that are beleevers but of those that have high raised spirits so Abraham signifieth a high father Cleopatria told Marcus Antonius that he was not to fish and angle for gudgeons and trouts but for Castles Forts and Towns so I may say of a Christian he doth not fish angle especially in matters of Religion for wool and flax and oile he hath no such low and base ends but at God and Christ and heaven and glory and imortality he lookes there he serves God not for these things hee desires these things that by them he may be fitted more to serve God One that hath beene acquainted with the free grace of God in Christ will serve God for himselfe without indenting with him he will be willing to go into Gods Vineyard and not
Altars this was when their hearts were warmed with joy in blessing the name of God VVhen God once warmeth the hearts of people it is much what they will doe for God then They will not stand examining every nicety but they will fall upon the work directly the joy of the Lord was the strength of their hearts at this time as it is with the lusts of wicked men when they get into company at feasts in Taverns and there they are drinking while their lusts are warmed then what desperate resolutions have they to doe wickednesse So when Gods Saints are exercised in Gods Ordinances and are refreshed with the sweet love of God when that lies glowing at their hearts what strong resolutions have they for God! then they can doe any thing for God Now the very name of Baalim must be taken away VERSE 16. And it shall be in that day saith the Lord that thou call me Ishi and shalt call me no more Baali 17. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth they shall be no more remembred by their name Here we have as full a Prophesie and promise of as thorough reformation of the Church as any I know we have in Scripture God hath a time to reforme his Church thorowly the very names of their Idols the very remembrance of them shall be taken away This reformation is â—ods worke I will doe it saith God I will take away the names of Baalim They shall call me Ishi and no more Baali Why what great difference is there betweene these two names Ishi and Baali that God will have one but not the other The truth is both of them signifie even almost the same thing Both of them are names very fit for a wife to call her husband by Ishi is my husband and Baali is my husband too But the word Ishi cometh from a word that signifieth strength the woman being the weaker vessel therefore shee calls her husband Ishi my strength for the husband should be strength to the wife he should live with her as a man of knowledge he should be a protection to her he should help her in all her weaknesses afflictions Baali signifieth my Lord as well as my husband it is a word that moteth rule and authority Ishi is a word that hath more love and familiarity in it Baali is a word that noteth the inferiority of the wife to the husband Now God saith he will be called Ishi but not Baali why there is no hurt in the word Baali it selfe the word Baali is a very good word and hath a good signification it is proper to God as any word that can be given to him by the Church but that God did forbid it here for it is no more when the church cals God Baali then if the Church should say O God that art my Lord my husband who art to rule govern me Yea and we find that God gives to himself this name Isa 54. 5. Thy Maker is thy husband so it is in your books but the word in the Hebrew is the same that we have here Thy Maker is thy Baali so that husband and Baal is the very same But now because they had abused this word Baal and given into their Idols therefore God would have no more of it though it was a good word a significant word and as proper to God as any was As the word Tyrannus was a name once for a King Kings were called Tyrants without any such ill signification as now it carries with it but because they had gotten the sole power into their hands they did so oppress abuse their power therefore oppressors were called Tyrants So the Latine word fur which is for a thiefe it was once the ordinary word for a servant Fures and Servi were wont to be the same and without any ill signification but because afterward many servants grew to be false to steale from their Masters therefore fures was altogether taken in the worst part onely for theeves So Sophista a Sophister was one that studied wisdome but because they did so much degenerate many under the colour of the study of wisdome deceived others therefore the name Sophister was used in the worst part I might instance in many other For further opening this May not the name Baal be mentioned God tells them that he would take away the name of Baalim out of their mouths VVhy may not we use this word Baali in our mouths To this I answer Yes it is not unlawfull for us to mention the word notwithstanding this for the holy Ghost a long time after this mentions the word in an historicall way Rom. 11. 4. hee speaks there of those that had not bowed their knees to Baal the word you see is mentioned remembred by the spirit of God therefore it was not a sin nay not only the word Baal bâ—r it is not unlawfull to mention the names of any Idols of the heathen for the holy Ghost doth so likewise Acts 18. 11. speaking of the ship that they sayled in he saith there whose signe was Castor and Pollux the names of two heathen Idols And you may observe that here in the text the remembring is as much forbidden as the mentioning Now if it were a finne meerly to mention the names of the heathen gods it were a sin to remember them Therefore God means the mentioning of them Honoris gratia any way for their honour or without detestation of them The words being thus opened you have many excellent observations out of them very usefull and seasonable for our times First There is a great deale of danger in words and names You shall call me Ishi I will not have you call me Baali I will not have that word used the Devill hath got much by words and names heretofore by the word Puritane though 〈◊〉 knew not what it meant now by this new name that he hath of late invented the devill hath alwayes some words some names for distinction of men in which he sees advantage is to be had The speakiâ—â—â—f the ways of 〈…〉 the language of superstition doth much hurt 〈…〉 a notabl◠〈◊〉 â—etion from the Papists themselves concerning that it is in the Rhemists Testament in their notes upon that place 1 Tim. 6. 20. Keep that which is committed to thy trust avoyding prophane and vaine bablings so we translate it they translate it prophane novelties this is their note upon it Let us say they keep our fore-fathers words and we shall easily keepe our old faith you shall see that wee had not long since the very spirit of these men breathing in many amongst us The Hereticks call repentance amendment but let us say they keep the old word Penance they say the Lords Supper but we will keep the old word Masse they say Communion Table but let us keep the old word Altar Was it not just thus with us the call Elders and Ministers
looking upon God when we pray to him as a God of mercy and we present our selves in our humiliations before the mercy seat but know this that the mercy seat will doe us no good without the blood of Christ faith must take this blood of Christ and sprinkle it tender it up to God his Father for the atonement of our souls and procuring mercy to us and not only so the blood of the Bullock the Goat must be sprinkled upon the Mercy seat but before the Mercy seat we must not only thinke there can be no mercy obtained from God but by the blood of Christ but we cannot so much as have accesse to Gods Mercy seat without the bloud of Christ we must not dare to enter but by the bloud of Christ by him we have accesse to God we must all know that all sinners are banished from the presence of God and must not have accesse to Gods presence as they are in themselves Lastly this day divers times is called A Sabbath of rest that is A Sabbath of Sabbaths so it is in the Originall as one of the principall Sabbaths that they had I did not handle it amongst the Sabbaths because it comes in now more fully amongst these solemne Feasts there must be more rest in the days of atonement then in other of their solemn days There was that permitted in other solemn days that was not permitted in that day this may teach us that in the dayes of fasting above any dayes we must get our souls now separated from the world there must be a rest in our hearts a rest from sinne a rest from the world it must be a Sabbath of Sabbaths unto us Now notwithstanding God had given this solemne charge for this day of atonement yet Theodoret tels us that in his time they did so degenerate that they spent this day in sports and made it a day of mirth God grant that the ordinariness of our days of atonement do not grow to this abuse as in some places it is amongst us the most solemne things that ever God gave charge of yet in time degenerates this is the wickedness of mens natures One note more from this Feast of Expiation it is very probable that the Grecians did use yearly in expiation of their Cities in this manner from this we find amongst the stories of the Grecians that yearly they were wont to have a kind of Expiation in imitation of the ways of the Jewes the Devill is Gods Ape for their Cities there was this custome amongst them certaine condemned persons were brought forth with garlands in manner of Sacrifices and these they were wont to tumble down from some steep place into the middst of the Sea and so offer them up to Neptune the God of the Sea with these words Be thou a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for us The like was used by them in the times of publique infection when they had a publique plague in their Cities they used such a custome to make an atonement betweene them and their gods there were certain men brought to be sacrificed to their Gods for an expiation for ther whole City and they were caled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this word was used to signifie that that man that was to expiate for all the sins of their Cities to their gods ing all their sins upon him was as filth and 〈◊〉 scouring and from these two words it is probable the Apostle in the first to the Corinthians 4. 13. hath that expression by which we may come to understand the meaning of those two words there We are saith he made the filth of the world and off-scouring of the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these alluding to the manner of the Grecians We for our parts saith he are made as despicable and odious in the sight of the people and are as much loaded with the curses of the people as those condemned persons that had all the sins and curses of the people put upon them and so were offered to their Gods for expiation The Feast of Tabernacles The history of this Feast is Leviticus 23. 34. soon In this Feast the Iews were to take boughes off the trees and make booths of them and those that write the history in their manners they tell us they used to carry boughs in their hands because they could not make booths Tabernacles for all the people therefore some of them thought it sufficient to carry boughs in their hands and those boughes they carried in their hands they used to call Hosanna Do thou fold or prepare the Hosanna so they used to speake therefore when Christ came to Ierusalem they cryed Hosanna to the Sonne of David the meaning was not a prayer Save us O thou Son of David as some would have it but Hosanna to the Son of David that is we hold forth these boughs to the honour of the Messiah the Son of David the Feast of Tabernacles was to point at the Messiah now for those boughs ver 40. there was a command of God they should be goodly trees palme trees or willowes of the brooke but why so it noted that thereby they were to acknowledge Gods goodnesse to them that whereas they had lived forty yeares in the wildernesse in a dry place they were now brought to a fruitfull land that had much water which was a great matter in those hot countries and therefore they were to bring the willows of the brooke and goodly trees those that might most testifie the goodnesse of God to them in delivering them from the wildernesse and in bringing them to a land filled with sweet and pleasant brookes Things observable in this Feast are First The end why God would have this Feast kept he aimes at these three things chiefly First God would have them to blesse his name for his mercies to them in the wildernesse when they dwelt in boothes it was appointed by God that they should once a yeare call to minde the great mercies of God while they were in the wildernesse and there dwelt in boothes and had no houses for so was the dispensation of God towards his people for forty yeares they were to be in the wildernesse and not to have a house in all that time but dwelt in Tabernacles this was a mighty worke of God and manifested his exceeding protection over them and provision for them and his providence every way to provide necessaries for them even as well as if they had had the strongest houses that so many hundred thousands should live forty 〈◊〉 and never have a house built all that time was a great work of God God â—ould declare thereby that the Church in this world is not to expect any certaine habitation any setled condition but to be as men that dwell in tents removing up and downe and so seeke after a City that hath foundations as it is said of Abraham At this Feast the Jewes were wont to reade the
Booke of Ecclesiastes principally because it speakes so much of the works of Gods providence All the while Gods people dwelt in boothes and Tabernacies God himselfe would dwell in a Tabernacle God would never have a house built unto him till he had brought his own people to be setled in houses of their owne and therefore when David began to thinke that he had a house of Cedar and therefore surely God must have one too God tells him Did ever I speake of a house for me as if he had said As long as my people went up and down in booths and Tabernacles I was content to have a Tabernacle and a booth for my dwelling thus God is willing to suite himselfe with the condition of his people Is the condition of his people in a fleeting way then I will be so too saith God If your conditions be afflicted and unsetled I will be so too In all their afflictions God was afflicted in all their unsetlednesse God seemed to be so too Indeed afterwards when Gods people came to be in a setled estate in Ierusalem then God would have a house built him God would hereby teach us That if himselfe be content to be in a condition like us then we must be content to be in a condition like him as thus when we are afflicted will God be afflicted with us when we are unsetled will God be as it were unsetled with us then let us not thinke it much if afterwards God be in an afflicted way his truth and his Gospell be in a suffering way let us be willing to suffer with God when God is magnified and praised then our hearts should be inlarged too and rejoyce in his praise we should consider the condition that God is in the world we must suite our selves with that Again would God have them once a yeare to celebrate the remembrance of their dwelling in boothes and Tabernacles and that after they came to Ierusalem From hence note It is good to remember our low estates to have a reall remembrance of our low mean conditions we had heretofore doth God now bring us into a more setled condition then heretofore Let us not forget in what an afflicted condition we were in how unsetled how ready we were to fleet up and down If God should grant his people that they should think themselves setled in their own kingdoms yet let them never forget the time when they were unsetled in this other countries there hath been a great part of the people of God whose thoughts have been what shall become of them whether shall they go and perhaps to this day many have such thougts unlesse there be some speciall mercies of God prevent it yet may be the condition of thousands in the land before a yeare go about If God should prevent you ever remember your fleeting condition once you were in It was Gods great care of the people of Israel that they should never forget their dwelling in Tabernacles Thirdly Note the time of their Feast of Tabernacles they were to dwell in booths upon the fifteenth day of their moneth it was but five dayes after their day of atonoment so that being so presently after the day of publique atonement this lesson may be learned After our humiliations for our sins and making up our peace with God it is good to keep our hearts low with the meditation of the uncertainty of all things in the world You have been humbling your selves and making your peace with God yet when your hearts are comforted with the hope of your alonement made keep your hearts low take heed of pride the feast of Tabernacles must be kept presently after the feast of Atonement this is one speciall means to keep your hearts low to have a reall remembrance of the uncertainties of the comforts of this world This lifteth up mens hearts to conceive some excellencies in things here therefore goe into your boothes and work your hearts down keep your feast of Tabernacles Fourthly God would have their hearts kept low by the actuall going into their booths and tabernacles though they had faire and sumptuous houses in the City yet they were to go out and live in their booths a while you might think were it not enough for the Priest to tell them and bid them remember their dwelling in Tabernacles but they must go forth from their houses and abide in booths It is a good way to keep those men humbled that are raised from a low condition to a high even actually to goe into those houses that are low and mean go into the houses of poor men look into the cupboards see what provision they have this will be a means to humble your hearts when you consider This was once my condition A second end of this feast was to blesse God for all the fruits of the earth they had received when they had received all in their Vintage and all As the feast of Pentecost was to blesse God for their first fruits and their harvest but now all the fruits of the earth Vintage and all were gathered in Now they were to joyn all together and to blesse God for all the fruits of the Earth That this is Gods end is cleare in Deut. 16. 13 14. Thou shalt observe the feast of Tabernacles after thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine and thou shalt rejoyce c. because the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy encrease therefore thou shalt surely rejoyce From hence there is this lesson It is usefull to remember what a poor condition we were once in and the uncertainty of all things that we have even when we have got our riches into our houses when all things are in our possession it is not so much to think how uncertain they are when they are growing in the field but after the Vintage was gotten in then they were to keep the feast of Tabernacles to remember the uncertain condition of all things in the world this we are very loath to doe it is unsutable to our natures and therefore this feast of Tabernacles was much neglected among the Jewes untill such time as they 〈◊〉 been in captivity after God had carried them into Babylon and theâ—â— bâ—ought them back againe into their own Countrey then they kept the feast of Tabernacles more solemnly then ever they had done as we finde Nehem. 8. 17. Since the day of Ioshua the son of Nun they had not done so they never kept the feast of Tabernacles so solemnly from their first comming into Canaan as then they did now being come out of prison they could remember the uncertainty of all things in the world men forget the uncertainty of all things in the world but if they be driven from house and home and lose all then they remember what they have heard and confessed of the uncertainty of all worldly things some of our brethren who are plundered and